Visualizations

Mental Vacations

Close your eyes and imagine yourself in a relaxing place. This place is where you feel completely safe because stress and worries hold no power over you.

Some people like to imagine sitting on a white sandy beach or sitting by a stream in a forest. Others like to think of a favourite vacation place, somewhere they used to play as a child, or somewhere they haven’t been yet but can imagine it would be wonderful. There is no “right” place – it should just feel relaxing and safe to you. The key is to immerse yourself fully in your peaceful place by using all of your senses.

Let’s try it out: close your eyes and imagine being in a beautiful forest. Imagine looking around, up through the branches, and at the sun streaming through the leaves. Look down beside you and see a small stream bubbling. Any leaves floating down the stream? Any slippery smooth rocks shining in the sunlight? Are you alone or with other people who love you? Now listen – what do you hear? Birds? Rushing water? Do you feel the coolness of forest shade on your skin? Do you smell the fresh earth?

After visualizing this place for a minute or two, slowly come back to the room and open your eyes. Take your time.

Do you feel any different than when you started? Remember, you can return to this place any time you want by using your visualization skills.

Below are two mental vacations you can try. These are short, so they are perfect for when you are busy but still need a little break to take care of yourself. You can listen to these mental vacation tracks anywhere: under a tree, on a bench, on the bus to school, or even in the school library. Taking short breaks like these can help you get centred so that you are more productive and effective.

SCRIPT #1 Relaxing Beach

This visualization is just over 5 minutes and takes you to a beautiful and magical beach, to help you relax deeply.